Packaging

ABSTRACT

Disclosed is a packaging for an object, which is characterized in that the same is provided with a suspension element that is movable in a substantially vertical direction via at least one guiding means. Said suspension element allows a suspension device that is embodied thereupon to be slid out of or into a peripheral edge of the packaging.

The invention concerns a packaging for an object.

The packaging of products that are to be offered and sold is of greatimportance today. On the one hand the packaging should protect sensitiveproducts and also, on the other hand, should draw the consumer'sattention to the product. Known packaging consist, for example, of aplastic shell into which the product is placed and a backing sheet madeof cardboard with which the plastic shell is closed. Such a packagingcan be set either on the display sale shelf or such a packaging can behung on a rod with a suitable suspension device in a sales room. For thelatter alternative, at least the back cardboard sheet must have asuitable hole or similar through which the rod can be inserted. In thecase of such suspended packaging, therefore, the cardboard backing sheetmust be somewhat larger in shape, in order to provide, in addition tothe intended product information, a sufficient area for the suspensiondevice.

Examples of backing sheets from the state of the art for a packagingconsisting of a backing sheet and plastic shell are shown in FIGS. 1 and2. Hereby, FIG. 1 shows a backing sheet 1, which can be set on a displaysale shelf. The backing sheet 1 comprises an upper section 2, on whichproduct information can be provided, as well as a lower section 3 towhich a plastic shell (not shown) that contains a product can beattached.

FIG. 2 shows a corresponding backing sheet 1′, which also has an uppersection 2′ and a lower section 3′. However, the backing sheet 1′ isintended for hanging on a sales rod, and therefore it has a hole 4′ inits upper section 2′, preferably a standard hole, through which a salesrod can be inserted. Due to providing this hole 4′, the upper section 2′of the backing sheet 1′ must have a somewhat larger surface area thanthe upper section 2 of backing sheet 1 so that, on the one hand, allproduct information that is to be given in the upper section 2′ can betaken into consideration, and, on the other hand, a sufficiently largearea is available for providing the hole 4′.

Thus, depending on the intended placement of the packaging of the stateof the art, different forms and shapes are required, although the sameproduct is contained in such a packaging. If rows of products are to bepackaged in such packaging, it can be seen easily that each member ofthis series must have ready two different packaging shapes, whichresults in a very large number of packagings that must be available.

Thus, it is the task of the present invention to provide a packagingthat overcomes the disadvantages of the state of the art, especially toprovide a packaging that can be used universally both for a display saleshelf or also for hanging on a rod.

This task is solved according to the invention by the fact that thepackaging has a suspension element, which can be moved essentiallyvertically, with at least one guiding means, with which a suspensiondevice embodied thereupon can be slid out above a peripheral edge of thepackaging or slid under the peripheral edge of the packaging.

Hereby it is preferred that the packaging have at least one guide pinextending away from the packaging, which engages in an essentiallyvertical and elongated hole of the suspension element, through which thesuspension element can be moved relative to the guide pin.

It is also preferred that the guide pin have a head with a diameter thatis larger than the width of the vertical and elongated hole.

One embodiment provides that the end regions of the vertical andelongated hole are wider than a middle region thereof. As a result ofthe fact that the end regions of the vertical and elongated hole aremade wider than the middle region thereof, the guide pins arepractically held in a type of locked position when the suspensionelement is either slid out completely above the peripheral edge of thepackaging or is slid in under the peripheral edge of the packaging.Therefore, in order to move the suspension element from these endpositions, a certain amount of force must be applied.

Furthermore it is proposed that the guide pin extend from the back sideof the packaging toward the back.

It is especially preferred that the back side of the packaging have abacking sheet arranged on it.

Hereby it can be provided that the backing sheet have at least onefastening means.

It is also preferred that the fastening means be a round hole throughwhich at least one guide pin can engage.

It is especially preferred that the suspension element be arrangedbetween the back side and the backing sheet.

Hereby, according to the invention, it is provided that the suspensionelement be made of plastic, preferably a transparent plastic.

The suspension element can have a thickness of 0.1 to 0.5 mm, preferablyabout 0.3 mm.

It is also preferred that the backing sheet be made of cardboard.

Furthermore, it is proposed that the suspension device be a suspensionhole.

Finally, it is preferred that the receiving hole be a standard receivinghole.

The invention is based on the surprising finding that the packagingaccording to the invention can be used universally and flexibly both ona display sale shelf and also for the hanging of such a packaging on arod. The intended suspension element can, as needed, be slid out above aperipheral edge of the packaging and then be pushed onto a sales rod, orthe suspension element can be slid in under the peripheral edge of thepackaging, so that the packaging according to the invention can be usedwithout difficulty on a display sale shelf. With the packaging accordingto the invention, the necessity of providing different packagings,depending on the display location, is avoided. Product information thatis arranged on the packaging, for example on a backing sheet, can bepresented without difficulty without the suspension element hindering orlimiting the display of such information or, basically, without abacking sheet with a larger area becoming necessary.

It is especially preferable that the moveable suspension element bearranged on the packaging in such a way that it can be slid out above anupper peripheral edge of the packaging or be slid in under this.

Naturally, a great variety of guiding means to make the moving of thesuspension element possible are known to an expert in the field. Inaddition to the use of guide pins, tracks can, for example, be arrangedon the side of the backing sheet, in which the suspension element can bemoved in a limited way. It is especially preferred when the suspensionelement is arranged between the back side of the packaging and thebacking sheet. However, one can also conceive that the suspensionelement is arranged behind the backing sheet and can be slid in or outagain from there. The arrangement of the suspension element between thebacking sheet and the back side is advantageous overall for thestability of the packaging. In such an arrangement, the suspensionelement is preferably transparent in order not to cover information thatis presented on the backing sheet.

When using guide pins as guiding means, the guide pins preferably have amushroom-like shape, that is, the head of the guide pin has a diameterthat is larger than its body. Such a configuration makes a relativelysecure attachment of the suspension element (and of the backing sheet)to the packaging.

Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention followfrom the detailed description of a preferred embodiment with the aid ofschematic drawings, in which

FIGS. 1 and 2 show backing sheets for packagings from the state of theart;

FIG. 3 shows a suspension element to be used in a packaging according tothe invention;

FIG. 4 shows a partial representation of a packaging according to theinvention with the suspension element slid in; and

FIG. 5 is a partial representation of a packaging according to theinvention with the suspension element slid out.

FIG. 3 shows a suspension element 10, which is preferably manufacturedfrom a transparent plastic, for example polymethyl methacrylate orpolycarbonate. The receiving element 10 has in its upper region asuspension hole 11 through which the suspension rod can be inserted. Inthe lower region of the suspension element 10, two essentially verticaland elongated holes 12 are provided. These holes 12 have end regions 13,which have a larger width than a middle region 14 of holes 12. Thepurpose of such a design is to fix both end positions of the suspensionelement 10, that is, an end position in which the suspension element 10is slid out and an end position in which the suspension element 10 isslid in.

FIG. 4 shows a top view onto a packaging according to the invention inwhich the suspension element 10 shown in FIG. 3 is present in theslid-in position. The suspension element 10 is arranged hereby in anupper region of a packaging 15 and covers at least a part of the area ofthe backing sheet 16 (shown with the dotted line) of packaging 15. Frompackaging 15 guide pins 17 extend, preferably from the back side of thepackaging, and can go through the vertical and elongated holes 12 of thesuspension element 10 and through round holes (not shown) of the backingsheet 16, in order to arrange the suspension element 10 between thebacking sheet 16 and the back side of the packaging 15. Since thesuspension element 10 is transparent, information that is given on thebacking sheet 16 is not hidden by such a suspension element 10. Such apackaging 15 according to the invention can be set up in a display saleshelf without any problems.

However, if such a packaging 15 is supposed to be hung on a rod, then,as shown in FIG. 5, one merely has to pull out the suspension element 10along its vertical and elongated holes 12 through guide pins 17 so thatthe suspension hole 11 is exposed above the upper peripheral edge of thepackaging 15 or of the backing sheet.

Thus, the packaging according to the invention can be altered in asimple manner in order to make it possible for it to be displayed eitheron a display sale shelf or by hanging on a rod, without any significantchanges of the packaging according to the invention being necessary.Furthermore, the packaging according to the invention makes it possiblethat only one packaging be required for both forms of presentation,which can be converted in a simple manner. This reduces themanufacturing costs of such packagings considerably, since especiallyhaving different packagings available for one product series is nolonger necessary.

The characteristics of the invention disclosed in the presentspecification, in the claims as well as in the drawings can be essentialindividually as well as in any arbitrary combination for the realizationof the invention in its different embodiments.

1. Packaging (15) for an object, characterized by the fact that thepackaging (15) has an essentially vertical suspension element (10) thatcan be moved with at least one guiding means (17), with which asuspension device (11) built thereon can be slid out above a peripheraledge of the packaging (15) or can be slid in below the peripheral edge(15) of the packaging.
 2. Packaging according to claim 1, characterizedby the fact that the packaging (15) has at least one guide pin (17)extending from the packaging as guiding means, the guide pin engaging inan essentially vertical and elongated hole (12) of the suspensionelement (10), with the aid of which the suspension element (10) can bemoved relative to the guide pin (17).
 3. Packaging according to claim 2,characterized by the fact that the guide pin (17) has a head with adiameter that is larger than the width of the vertical and elongatedhole (12).
 4. Packaging according to claim 2 or 3, characterized by thefact that the end regions (13) of the vertical and elongated hole (12)are wider than a middle region (14) thereof.
 5. Packaging according toone of claims 2 to 4, characterized by the fact that the guide pin (17)extends backward from the back side of the packaging (15).
 6. Packagingaccording to one of the previous claims, characterized by the fact abacking sheet (16) is arranged on the back side of the packaging (15).7. Packaging according to claim 6, characterized by the fact that thebacking sheet has at least one fastening means (18).
 8. Packagingaccording to claim 7, characterized by the fact that the fastening meansis a round hole through which at least one guide pin (17) can engage. 9.Packaging according to one of claims 6 to 8, characterized by the factthat the suspension element (10) is arranged between the back side andthe backing sheet (10).
 10. Packaging according to one of the previousclaims, characterized by the fact that the suspension element (10) ismade of plastic.
 11. Packaging according to claim 10, characterized bythe fact that the plastic is transparent.
 12. Packaging according to oneof the previous claims, characterized by the fact that the suspensionelement has a thickness of 0.1 to 0.5 mm, preferably about 0.3 mm. 13.Packaging according to one of claims 6 to 12, characterized by the factthat the backing sheet (16) is made of cardboard.
 14. Packagingaccording to one of the previous claims, characterized by the fact thatthe suspension device is a suspension hole (11).
 15. Packaging accordingto claim 14, characterized by the fact that the receiving hole (11) is astandard receiving hole.